Let Her Go
by MIROTOPIST
Summary: Draco meets Hermione in muggle London a month after her breakup with Ron, maybe this can be a fresh start. (I decided to continue it, so stay tuned!)


Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it. -Dr. Karl Menninger

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BUT THE PLOT! THE CHARACTERS ARE ALL J.K ROWLING'S

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Draco walked in the snow covered ground of muggle London, a thick winter jacket hung tightly around him. He heard the soft crunching of his boots stepping on the ice, the way that the streetlamps shined dimly on them. The lights were dim, but there was no need for light soon, the light of the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, a mix of pink, purple and blue. Neutral colors. Not too bright, not too dark.

It's been two years since the final battle, but not the last drops of blood wasted down or the last life taken, his aunt Bellatrix is still out there, out for vengeance of her dead master. The mark still hurt him. He never wanted it, but it's not like he had a choice on the side he wanted to be on. It's sad, really, never having a chance to make choices in life. A hand puppet, told to do by the ones "greater" then ourselves.

Draco walked into a muggle night club and sat down at the bar, ordering 'something strong'. The customers at that time have thinned out, either at home or passed out snoring. He took out a Prophet from this morning despite it being 4:13 am with no wizarding shops open -privilege of being a Malfoy- and scanned the latest news, Potter saving muggles from a burning building, weaselette becoming captain of the Holyhead Harpies, nothing new. Draco sighed and placed it face-down on the table to receive his drink from the bartender. The bartender raised his eyebrows at the moving pictures on the prophet but said nothing. Draco sighed and sipped his drink, absentmindedly surveying his surroundings. Which was when he saw her.

THE her. His mind wandered and imagined, what would life had been like if he had made a move on his crush in school Hermione Granger. You heard him. Hermione Granger, know-it-all, Gryffindor princess, the queen of all muggleborns. But he couldn't just barge in, a former known deatheater like Draco Malfoy, he doesn't deserve her, she's too good. Too perfect. She deserves a good life, loyal friends and her cat. But nowadays he just can't stop thinking about her, ever since she and the King-weasel broke up, Draco has been hoping for a chance. But it's a childish dream, but one can hope.

He stared at her from his seat discreetly, confirming his accusation. All of the subtle hints were there, her habit of twirling her hair with her finger, playing tuneless piano keys with her fingers, yup. Hermione Granger was single, and they were in a bar together, and mostly sober. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gathering courage to go over to her. He picked up his prophet and walked to her seat by the window stopping just behind her, she was staring out the window, as if deep in thought. Draco took a breath then cleared his throat tapping her shoulder lightly.

Hermione's wand was at his throat in a matter of seconds, and she gestured her wand at the door as if signalling to walk outside. Draco stubbornly shook his head. Hermione raised her fist.

Draco walked outside.

Once they were out, she backed him into an alleyway, with her wand still pointed at him, where a lamp shone over her. There, under the dim streetlight, he could see the after-affects of lacking sleep, stress-filled days and loneliness. He noticed her gaze was weary, distrusting and unforgiving. He wished he could change that. He regretted the days of his childhood, forced around to make friends with the "right type of people". She spoke up "Why are you following me Malfoy?" "I wasn't, I just came in to get a drink" "In _muggle_ London. Right." He suddenly realized how suspicious he sounded. A Malfoy, roaming the streets of the muggle part of London past midnight, going to the same pub as Hermione Granger went to. Yes, she had a right to be suspicious. "Well, I was coming back after a late shift at the ministry, and I decided to take a walk down muggle London for a change, enjoy the sunrise. Can't one enjoy the simple pleasures of life, Granger?" He smirked at her as she narrowed her eyes "I still don't believe you Malfoy. I don't trust you." That stung, if Draco wanted to tell the truth, he would've trusted her with his life anytime, but she won't trust him about a simple statement. He smiled a genuine smile and joked "You can give me veritaserum if you must, I am telling the truth"

Hermione's eyes widened slightly at his smile, not used to the foreign expression on the male's face. She lowered her wand and finally replied in a small voice with a smile of her own, "Perhaps we don't have to go to such extreme extents, I believe you." She looked beautiful standing there, even after weeks of heartbreak and sleepless nights. Her hair once a neat bun had ringlets of hair falling out, framing her face. Her golden hazel eyes reflected between the rising sun and the dim streetlight, it looked like an artist took all of the most beautiful colors and mixed them together, and instead of getting a murky dark color, they got Hermione's eyes at that moment.

He stepped closer to her, just a small step, and his breath was caught as Hermione stepped closer as well, until they were face-to-face. He tentatively caressed her face with his palm and seeing as she didn't pull away, he leaned in and kissed. It was a shy kiss, barely brushing lips but it sent sparks throughout both if their bodies. He pulled away before he got lost in the kiss, and saw confusion in Hermione's eyes. Maybe the reason that they'd kissed was because of the pain they were going through, or the sunrise around them or even the gust of wind that sent goosebumps trailing up their arms. Or perhaps it was the light in his eyes that was different from the boy that Hermione remembered from school, different and yet the same. The boy which she secretly harbored a crush on for the last few years of school, despite his actions. There they were standing, chest to chest.

That is when everything came crashing down to a halt. Hermione realized who she was and why she shouldn't do this with Malfoy, she pushed Draco away and ran out in to the rising rays of the sun. Draco didn't go after her, perhaps knowing she and him together would never happen, perhaps just frozen in shock from the kiss or maybe... maybe just because he was afraid. Afraid of what, he wasn't sure but he didn't want to risk letting her take his heart and shattering it.

So he let her go.

_And you let her go_


End file.
